Visiting Mogao Caves with Kids｜Think Twice Before Bringing Young Children!

A Challenge of Stamina and Patience! Practical Tips to Avoid Pitfalls. The cave area is open-air and requires walking throughout! Strong sunshine on clear days🌞, potential wind and sand on cloudy days. Tired or sunburned children may affect the overall experience. 🙉Mental and physical preparation is advised! (Young children may find it exhausting~) Photography🎥 is prohibited inside the caves. Total queuing time is about 4 hours, while actual cave visiting time is only ~30 mins. (We went in the morning...) 🔴First🎫 Tickets MUST be booked in advance: Type A or Type B. (We only got Type B due to last-minute planning🎫) There are also special cave tickets (purchased on-site after regular caves): pricier, longer visits with in-depth explanations—less suitable for young/first-time visitors. 🔴All tickets must be collected/checked at the 【Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center】. 🟢️From the center to the actual caves, take the shuttle bus (~15 mins). After disembarking, walk ~5-10 mins through shaded paths to the cave entrance (where groups form for guided tours). Shops and restrooms are along this route. (Expect more queuing...crowded inside too~ Random caves are open daily!) 🟢️Cave tour: Entirely on foot. Type A tickets include 8 caves with a guide (~1.5 km, 1-1.5 hrs). Type B visitors explore 4 major caves independently with fixed-point explanations. 🔴👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Kid-Specific Tips: Age: Not recommended for under 5s; best if they can walk steadily and follow simple narratives. Young kids may fuss (quiet required inside), and carrying them on narrow paths is tiring/risky🟢️ (Each cave is crowded—visitors line up single file. Type B may need to eavesdrop on other guides~) 🟢️Manage expectations—kids’ interests differ. Focus on what captivates them (colors, giant Buddhas, animal motifs). 💙Children will still marvel: Ancient murals with intricate lines, colossal Buddha figures fading into dim heights, draped robes wider than humans. The Buddhas’ downward gaze feels like a millennia-old silent greeting. Pre-trip storytelling helps!! 🙉🙉Though after crowds and sun, my kid mostly remembered the nine-story pagoda ice cream and sausages~ . *Content sourced online; contact for removal if infringed.*